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Asian elephants are capable of remarkable cooperation and intelligence when faced with complex tasks, but they can’t solve the problem of their endangered status without your help.

How do elephants remember the location of family members and of food and water sources? How do they interact with one another and with people in and out of their natural environments? With Dr. Joshua Plotnik and his research team, you’ll work to understand elephant behavior and intelligence. You’ll conduct noninvasive cognition research on elephants in captivity in Chiang Saen, Thailand, and help gain a deeper understanding of elephant behavior. The findings will inform wild elephant management and the development of strategies to mitigate human-elephant conflict that will put elephant needs on a par with those of local communities in Thailand.

You’ll work up close with elephants, collecting behavioral data in experiments on cognition and helping to set up experiments, build apparatus, and prepare food; you may also assist mahouts (elephant caretakers) in their daily routine. You’ll code videotapes for computer input and analysis. You may be involved in the collection and processing of elephant urine and dung for hormone analysis in a study looking at how environment influences stress in elephants. You’ll also help with educational programs for students in Thailand and the U.S.

Location

Lead scientists

Accommodations and food

Why the research is important

Why the research is important

The project research team is currently conducting studies on elephant memory, cooperation, problem-solving, and reasoning.

Work with elephants to better understand and document their behavior and unique form of intelligence.

Elephants are endangered throughout their range. Thailand is home to only about 1,500 captive and 2,000 wild elephants. Elephants are widely regarded as one of the most intelligent animal species on Earth, but little evidence exists to support this. Most of what we know about elephants comes from field research in Africa, but little has been done experimentally to test how elephants think about their environment and about each other.

The more we learn about elephants, the more we can educate the public about the need to protect them. Studying elephant behavior also helps scientists to better understand the evolution of intelligence in nonprimates and to develop methods to mitigate conflict between humans and elephants—particularly as it relates to the encroachment of wild elephants on private land—that take into account the intelligence of elephants in the wild.

Findings can help people learn how to share land with elephants more harmoniously.

About the research area

Chiang Rai, Thailand, Asia

The research site is in a small tourist town in the “Golden Triangle,” the area along the Mekong River where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. An hour’s drive south is Chiang Rai, home to Buddhist temples, markets, and other attractions. Hiking trips to nearby hill tribe villages can be arranged, along with talks on Thai culture and performances of hill tribe dances.

Thailand's weather is dry and hot in the winter and wet and humid in the summer. The research site where you’ll be working is in the jungle where insects are plentiful. Volunteers are urged to wear insect repellent and sunscreen.

Thai culture is welcoming and hospitable, and Thais will often go out of their way to accommodate strangers. Buddhism is the predominant religion in Thailand, and Buddhist customs must be respected at all times. English is not widely understood, even in large cities, but project staff members are fluent in English and most restaurants have English menus.

Working closely with the elephants and their mahouts, the research staff conducts a wide range of studies on memory, cooperation, problem-solving, and reasoning. You’ll help with all stages of the research as you:

Conduct experiments on elephant cognition. Help videotape experiments, keep time, and operate equipment involved in the experiments.

Help out vets. Guided by staff veterinarians, help with routine health checks and treat sick elephants.

Contribute to educational programs. Contribute to local and international educational programs, which include live “visits” via Skype between our elephants and students in New York and Thailand.

This expedition will also bring you up close to local culture as you participate in community activities and visit community development projects.In the evenings, socialize with your teammates and learn from experts about elephant behavior, elephant conservation in Thailand, Thai culture and language, and other areas of conservation, epidemiology, and entomology.

MEET THE OTHER SCIENTISTS

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations and Food

Air-conditioned guesthouse

Fresh Thai cuisine

You’ll stay in a guesthouse within walking distance of the research site. Your room will be a single or double with a fan, air conditioning, and modern plumbing.
Most of your meals will be prepared for you in local restaurants, and you’ll eat them at or near the research site or occasionally in a restaurant along with the research staff. Thai food consists of rice-based dishes with meat, seafood, and/or vegetables, or noodle-based dishes, such as noodle soup with meat, seafood, and/or vegetables or pad-thai style meals.

In the village of Sob Ruak, you’ll find restaurants and stalls that serve Thai food, as well as a few that serve Western food. In addition, because the field site is on the property of the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort and Spa, you can visit the hotel’s two excellent restaurants.